When retired Dundee offshore worker Tania Clunie started feeling unwell in mid-December, she initially suspected she might have Covid.
But after using two testing kits, she realised she didn’t have coronavirus.
Instead she believes it was flu – and it’s the worst bout of the virus she has ever experienced.
The 58-year-old is just one of many people in Dundee who have been hit with flu over the festive period.
Across Scotland, a surge in flu cases has put extra pressure on healthcare services including those at NHS Tayside.
The health board has revealed that the number of cases it had peaked between December 28 and 30 when more than 100 patients, who were admitted to hospital, tested positive for flu.
These figures have halved since then but remain high.
When did Dundee’s Tania start feeling unwell with flu?
In mid-December Tania started feeling unwell and noticed her nose was running.
“I actually thought I was coming down with Covid,” Tania explains.
“I phoned a local chemist to see if they had testing kits but they didn’t have any. So I ended up getting three kits from one of my pals.
“I tested myself twice but both times it came up negative for Covid. The next day I did another test and it came up negative again.
“Then on December 22 I was at my dad’s and went for a lie down but I had a severe headache.
“It ended up lasting for six days and it would not shift. I tried taking ibuprofen but even that wouldn’t shift it.”
As well as a severe headache, Tania felt very fatigued and dizzy.
And she says every bone in her body ached.
“I felt horrendous.
“All I could do was just lie on my couch. I didn’t go out for ten days, I felt completely wiped out.
“I didn’t have any Christmas lunch – I had no appetite and couldn’t do anything.
“And I was still feeling rubbish on December 31.”
‘It’s the worst bout of flu I’ve ever had’
The retired Dundee offshore stewardess started to recover from the flu two weeks ago although she still has a cough.
“I was worried that if I got any worse if might be something else like meningitis. If it had got worse I would have had to go to hospital.
“Thankfully I started feeling better. I am very active and pretty fit for my age yet it still floored me.
“It is the worst bout of flu I have ever had. It was worse than having Covid.”
Meanwhile, another Dundee woman, who doesn’t want to be named, was also really unwell over Christmas with a seasonal virus.
The 46-year-old believes she had Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) after experiencing symptoms.
The virus is usually almost indistinguishable from flu.
Symptoms for most people include a cough, a fever and blocked nose.
But they can also include shortness of breath, sore throat, wheezing, fever and a rash.
The mum-of-one, who has no underlying conditions, started feeling unwell on Christmas Day.
“I went into work on Christmas Day but within two hours I started feeling really unwell.
“I had to be taken home and then I couldn’t get out of my bed until December 29.
“At first I started feeling dizzy, then a headache came on and shortness of breath. I also developed a rash on my left leg which is away now.
‘Never experienced anything like it’
“But I could barely walk and had to lie down – this all happened within a five hour period.”
She continues: “The majority of my workplace has been sick with the same thing.
“I have never experienced anything like it in my whole life and I thought I was going to die at one point.
“It was scary, I nearly called an ambulance.
“I am glad I feel better now but I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
What is the response from NHS Tayside?
A spokesman for NHS Tayside said like other boards across Scotland, it has seen a significant number of patients presenting with flu-like illnesses over the past few weeks which has led to more admissions into its hospitals.
The spokesman said: “The number of cases peaked between 28-30 December in which more than 100 patients admitted to hospital had a positive test for flu.
“These figures have more than halved since then but remain high.
“We have a well-developed whole system Winter Plan in place.
“Our staff have been coping well with exceptional levels of demands on health services, both in the community and in hospitals across the area.”
The spokesman said local pharmacies or GP surgeries should be the first port of call for non-urgent general ailments.
And at weekends people should wait for GP surgeries to reopen, contact community pharmacies or visit the NHS’s health information website.
People can also protect themselves against winter illnesses by getting vaccinated.
Visit here for details of drop-in clinics across NHS Tayside.
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